Blog

Kamran Afzal Appointed as Hopewell's Newest Police Chief

Afzal succeeds Chief John Keohane, who retired in September 2018. 
The City of Hopewell is pleased to announce the appointment of Kamran Afzal as the new Chief of Police, effective January 1, 2019. Previously, Chief Afzal served as Chief of Police in Durango, Colorado.

The hiring of Kamran Afzal concludes an extensive search for a new police chief since the retirement of Chief John Keohane on September 1, 2018.

Chief Afzal has over 27 years.of experience in law enforcement. He started his career in September 1991 with the U.S. Capitol Police. He joined the Arlington County Police Department in April 1993 where he served for 24 years; the last 11-½ years as a member of the command staff. He retired from ACPD in Apil 2017 at the rank of Captain and was appointed as Chief of Police in Durango, Colorado.

While with Arlington County, Chief Afzal received a wide variety of experience ranging from patrol officer, Field Training Officer, Crime Scene Technician, Community Policing and Investigations. Over his 11 plus years as a command staff member, he commanded diverse areas such as facilities management, court liaison, property management, training, recruiting, court liaison, special operations, overseeing school resource officers and community policing. Chief Afzal served as the Emergency Response Team Commander and as the commander of their Civil Disturbance Team at different times.

During his tenure as Chief of Police for the Durango Police Department, Chief Afzal utilized data analytics to address crime patterns, instituted community policing as an integral part of everyday practice, enhanced utilization of social media, leadership development and developing community partnerships to address issues of concerns. 

Chief Afzal earned a Bachelor of Science in Economics from George Mason University and Masters of Public Administration with a concentration in  Criminal Justice from Troy University in Alabama. He is a Certified Public Manager and attended the Senior Management Institute for Police, the FBI  National Academy, and the Professional Executive Leadership School

"The City of Hopewell was very fortunate to have the number of qualified individuals interested in our Chief of Police position that we did. I am very pleased that upon the conclusion of our search that Chief Afzal has accepted the position to join the Hopewell team. Chief Afzal has the right combination of skills needed to continue the level of excellence of our Police Department. He has a record of using a collaborative leadership style to empower personnel and has formed strong partnerships in the community. Chief Afzal possesses a comprehensive set of policing skills and I believe he is well suited to relate to a diverse community" said March Altman, City Manager, City of Hopewell, Virginia.

The Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police assisted the City of Hopewell with their police executive search.

FUTURE VACP CONFERENCE DATES:

Winter Conferences
February 5-7, 2025
February 4-6, 2026
Location for all: Hilton Short Pump (Henrico County)

Annual Conferences
99th Annual
August 25-28, 2024

Location: Hotel Roanoke
REGISTRATION OPEN!
 
100th Annual
August 24-27, 2025

Location: Williamsburg Lodge

101st Annual
August 30 – September 2, 2026

Location: Hotel Roanoke